


Meddling Mothers (and Mistletoe)

by EchoSiriusRumme



Category: Iron Man (Comic), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Budding Love, Christmas Dinner, Christmas Fluff, Developing Relationship, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M, MIT Era, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2017-01-01
Packaged: 2018-09-13 21:55:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9143731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EchoSiriusRumme/pseuds/EchoSiriusRumme
Summary: Tony meant to decline, use the excuse that Rhodey had given him about making the friendship awkward, but what actually came out of his mouth was, “Sure, I’ll play along.”Rhodey beamed at him, and Tony couldn’t help but smile back, his heart beating hard against his chest.‘What the fuck have I gotten myself into?’Rhodey's mom thinks he's in a relationship, and she's not taking 'no' for an answer.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Avengerz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avengerz/gifts).



> This was supposed to be for Christmas, but if you've been following a few of my other stories, you know how well I am with staying on time. ^^;;;; Regardless, I was able to finish it and post it in time for the new year (where I am at least). Enjoy! (Also, gifted to Avengerz for giving me the idea and for rooting me on even as I took forever to finish this). :3

Tony startled, having been dozing off at his desk while fixing up some code for his first AI DUM-E, when his roommate Rhodey burst into the room. Turning his head to follow the older man’s movements, he took a few deep breaths in an effort to calm his hammering heart. It wasn’t often that Rhodey lost his cool, so Tony was naturally concerned for his friend.

Well that, and because of the fact that Tony may or may not have a _huge_ crush on his 22-year-old roommate and now best friend. Not that he’d ever admit it. Despite all the rumors which Tony still has no idea who started, he’d never been in a relationship and he _certainly_ hadn’t had sex yet. Rhodey on the other hand, was more experienced than him in those ways and Tony just…didn’t feel adequate enough, especially at 18 years. Rhodey was also his only true friend – his _first_ friend too, to tell the whole truth – and Tony didn’t want to mess that up either by confessing his feelings.

After a few minutes of Rhodey muttering to himself, pacing and running a hand through hair too short to properly do so, Tony’s curiosity had peaked. “So,” he let the vowel lengthen until Rhodey looked over at him. Raising an eyebrow at the hectic aura that surrounded Rhodey, Tony asked, “Do you want to tell me what’s going on?”

Rhodey heaved a sigh, collapsing on his bed until he was laying on his back. His hands came up to cover his face, and he grumbled out a muffled, “My mom thinks I’m in a relationship, and wants me to ‘bring the lucky person to spend Christmas with us!’”

Tony’s heart skipped a beat at the thought of Rhodey having found someone else, but shook his head quickly to snap out of it. “Oh? But if it’s not true, why can’t you just tell her?”

Rhodey raised his head slightly to stare disbelievingly at Tony. “You’ve met my mom, right? When she’s set her mind on something, there’s no fighting her.”

Tony nodded in agreement, a small smile gracing his lips at memories of Mrs. Rhodes visiting with tins of cookies, and pots with a full meal inside for when they had midterms and finals. He had been welcomed into the Rhodes family without hesitation, and their support had certainly helped when he had lost his biological family and Jarvis. Lord knows where he’d be if he hadn’t had Rhodey as his roommate in his first year at MIT.

Shaking his head to knock back such somber thoughts, Tony refocused on his friend again. “Well, I guess you’ll have to fake it. Find someone who knows you well enough to be able to play along, and go from there.”

Rhodey heaved himself up to his feet again, moving to the closet to drag his suitcase out of it. “The few people who could do that already have plans for Christmas, or are already in actual relationships.” Rhodey paused in transferring his shirts to the suitcase, looking at Tony with wide eyes. “Except you.”

Tony managed to keep his voice steady as he asked, “What? Me? Come on, you can do so much better.” He cursed internally. That was cutting it a little close to the truth.

But Rhodey was shaking his head, a grin forming across his lips. “No, come on, you’re my _best friend_. I mean, unless it would make things too awkward between us, I don’t want to pressure you. But my family already loves you, it would perfect.”

_‘It would be perfect. But I already love you too.’_ Tony _meant_ to decline, use the excuse that Rhodey had given him about making the friendship awkward, but what _actually_ came out of his mouth was, “Sure, I’ll play along.”

Rhodey beamed at him, and Tony couldn’t help but smile back, his heart beating hard against his chest. _‘What the fuck have I gotten myself into?’_

**\---------------------------------------------**

Tony rubbed his gloved hands together as Rhodey rang the doorbell, still somewhat panicking despite all of Rhodey’s assurances on the drive over. He really hoped that his true feelings for Rhodey would not be too obvious, even though that’s what he was there to pretend to show.

_‘Ugh, why couldn’t I have said no?’_ Tony thought, holding back a groan at the last minute. Of course, he knew why, but _why_? As lonely as he would be right now if he was still at their apartment, at least he wouldn’t be risking ruining their friendship because of his failure to tell Rhodey no.

The door opened, and immediately there was a chorus of “Merry Christmas” greeting them. Tony couldn’t help but smile as he was ushered into the warm house, Terrence, Rhodey’s dad, pulling him into a hug before taking his suitcase for him.

The moment his hands were free, Tony was swept up into a huge hug, his vision flooded with the red of Roberta’s sweater. Her cheerful voice in his ear, saying, “Merry Christmas Tony darling, so nice to see you again.”

When he was placed back on his feet, Tony accepted an equally warm hug from Jeanette, Rhodey’s sister. Tony allowed himself to enjoy these displays of affection, grateful and appreciative that this family was so giving of them. It made a little stab of guilt go through him, at the fact that he was there tricking the Rhodes into thinking he was Rhodey’s boyfriend.

Schooling his face back into a smile before his thoughts could show in his expression, he looked down at Jeanette when she took his hand. “Come on, Ma just made some hot cocoa.”

Tony took a second to find Rhodey again, spotting a _very_ sappy expression his face as he watched Tony. _‘No, not me. His family. He’s probably happy to be back home.’_ Noticing Tony watching him, Rhodey was quick to pick up the suitcases and head upstairs with his father. _‘I would be too, if I came home to this.’_ Tony thought, as he was being dragged away to the kitchen by Jeanette.

Even at only 14 years old, Jeanette possessed a kind of fearlessness and determination that Tony _still_ didn’t quite have despite his childhood. She was incredibly strong, in many definitions of the word, but Tony had quickly assumed an older brother persona around her regardless, ready to protect her from anything and everything. Even with all her annoyed comments that one older brother had been enough, Tony knew that she loved him as much as he loved her.

This time his smile took no effort – Mama Rhodes’ hot cocoa (and cooking in general) was fantastic. “Only if you have marshmallows to add!” He responded, laughing when Jeanette rolled her eyes at him. It _had_ been a stupid question.

Roberta was already back in the kitchen when they entered, just plopping a few mini marshmallows into the last mug of hot chocolate she’d prepared. Tony gladly took a mug from her, taking a sip and closing his eyes to savor the hearty chocolate flavor coating his tongue.

Leaning against the counter, Tony looked around the kitchen. Roberta had moved onto the turkey, opening the oven to check on its progress. Tony inhaled deeply as the delicious aroma spread through the room. His stomach growled, and he blushed when Jeanette started laughing at the loud noise.

“Tony, have you been skipping meals again?” Roberta asked, directing her pointed gaze at him.

Tony gulped, taking another drink of his cocoa before answering with a hesitant, “…maybe?”

She hummed, saying, “I would’ve thought Rhodey would take better care of you, once you became boyfriends. I’ll have to have a word with that boy.”

Tony nearly choked on his cocoa, taking a deep breath through his nose in an attempt to regain his composure. _‘Oh yeah, they think we’re together now.’_ Noticing that he had Jeanette’s attention as well as Roberta’s now, he said quickly, “Well, he’s a busy boy. He has better things to do than worry about me all the time.”

Roberta looked him over again, nearly making Tony start sweating from nerves, before turning back to her cooking. Jeanette patted his shoulder gently as she passed, smiling at him before going to help her Ma with the preparation.

Tony walked to the archway between living room and the kitchen, catching Rhodey’s eye from where he’d been clearing the table. Rhodey walked over to him, pausing slightly before wrapping an arm around Tony’s waist and pulling him close. “How’re you holding up?”

Tony couldn’t speak, too focused on the warmth of Rhodey beside him. Swallowing thickly, he looked up at Rhodey, breath catching in his throat at how close their faces were at this moment. “Um yeah, I’m doing all right.”

Rhodey stared at him a little longer, distracting Tony when he licked his lips subconsciously. Tony looked back up at Rhodey when he cleared his throat, then said softly, “Thanks again for coming along. I hope it’s not too awkward.”

As if on cue, Roberta walked past them, smiling widely at them as she did. Tony smiled back, leaning more into Rhodey’s embrace to further sell the act. _‘Also, because I don’t think I’ll ever get a chance to be this close again,’_ Tony thought, allowing himself to rest his head against Rhodey’s chest.

Rhodey tensed, arms tightening around Tony’s waist for a second and Tony immediately started moving away. _‘Goddammit, now you fucked it up.’_

Before Tony could get out of Rhodey’s embrace though, Rhodey pulled him close again. “Hey, hey, it’s all right,” he whispered into Tony’s ear, which did not make the situation better honeybear. “You just surprised me, is all. I don’t mind.”

His last words seemed to catch up to him, Rhodey’s eyes widening right after Tony’s head snapped up to look at him. “I-I mean, um, wait, or, I meant –”

Rhodey was saved by Roberta calling to them, “Oh boys, look where you’re standing!”

Looking up, Tony gaped at the mistletoe hanging in the archway above them. _‘Did I say saved? I meant_ screwed _.’_ Tony turned to look at Roberta, Terrence and Jeannette all standing in the living room, wide grins on their faces.

Roberta gestured at them, saying, “You know the tradition. You owe a kiss!”

Tony looked back at Rhodey, mouth flapping as he struggled to find the words. There was no way he could kiss Rhodey and continue being _just friends_ after this was all over. And there was no way his secret of being completely head over heels in love with Rhodey would _still_ be a secret after kissing him. He’d get too into it, freak Rhodey out, ruin the whole evening, and Rhodey would never want to see him again.

His spiraling thoughts were derailed when he felt a hand on his jaw, Rhodey lifting his chin to look into his eyes. Rhodey smiled softly, tilting his head at the mistletoe and shrugging, his eyes asking for permission. Tony knew that if he gave the signal, Rhodey would weasel out of the kiss for him – but wasn’t this the whole point of Tony being there? To pretend to be Rhodey’s boyfriend?

Tony shrugged too, but smiled back, ignoring how his heart ached. He lifted his arms, wrapping around Rhodey’s neck to bring him down slightly, going on his tiptoes to meet Rhodey halfway.

Slightly chapped, warm lips met his, startling Tony and making him realize he’d closed his eyes at some point. Before he could panic, Rhodey’s lips moved against his, and Tony was lost to the kiss. Rhodey cupped the back of his head, his other hand gripping Tony’s waist tighter and pulling Tony against his body.

Warmth engulfed Tony’s chest, his heart feeling like it was about to burst. Rhodey licked at his bottom lip and Tony opened readily to him, sighing happily as the kiss deepened. A wolf whistle ripped through the air to break their moment, Jeannette crying out a second later, “Ew, stop, you’re scarring me!”

Tony would have jumped away from Rhodey if he wasn’t in shock at what had just happened. He had kissed Rhodey, but more importantly, Rhodey had _kissed back_. Speaking of, Rhodey was still holding him close, looking down at him with an unreadable expression.

Before Tony could say anything however, Roberta burst in with an ecstatic, “Finally, they kissed!”

Rhodey and Tony startled, turning incredulous looks at Rhodey’s beaming mom. Terrence and Jeannette looked equally pleased, their expressions explained as Roberta continued. “James has been mooning on and on about you Tony, darling, and I knew he needed this little push. I knew he’d bring you for dinner when I said I expected someone.”

Rhodey choked out a “ _Ma_ , please,” but she just ignored him. Tony couldn’t help but notice that Rhodey hadn’t released his grip on Tony yet either.

Roberta looked at Tony then, her grin turning fonder. “And Tony, I’ve seen how you look at my boy, how you’ve become a part of our family over the years even if you _didn’t_ have these feelings for James. But you do, and I want you to know that I am so happy that James has found someone like you to care for, that cares for him in the same way.”

Tony couldn’t have stopped his tears if his life depended on it, and Rhodey finally let go of him when Roberta opened her arms in preparation. Tony ran to her, tucking his face against her chest in attempt to calm down. “Shh, you’re fine honey. Come here James, help me comfort your _boyfriend_.”

Tony laughed wetly, stepping away from Roberta to accept Rhodey’s hug. He burrowed into Rhodey’s chest now, holding him tightly when Rhodey dropped a kiss onto the top of his head. “I should have realized you felt the same way, Tones, and I’m sorry for not just going for it all those times I wanted to. Could have given us so much more time by now.”

Tony shook his head, looking up into warm, brown eyes. He leaned into the touch when Rhodey gently wiped the tears from his face, before cupping his cheek and touching their foreheads together. “No, I had those same thoughts. We’re both to blame – but we both have your mom to thank for getting our heads out of our…butts,” Tony made sure to amend, catching Roberta’s raised eyebrow.

She shook her head in the next second, an affectionate smile on her face. Roberta clapped her hands together. “Now we can truly enjoy our dinner, all together as a family.”

Hugging Rhodey again, Tony peeked over and took in the smiling faces of Roberta, Terrence, and Jeannette. Looking up, he beamed at Rhodey after seeing that Rhodey was already looking down at him. Rhodey leaned down to give him another kiss, and Tony could feel Rhodey’s smile widen against his lips at Roberta’s happy cheering.

Nearly overwhelmed by the love coming from everyone, Tony couldn’t remember the last time he was this happy – and he _never_ wanted to forget.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope y'all thought this was cute and fluffy, as I intended. If there are any glaring issues, let me know, but comments are always appreciated! ^-^
> 
> And Happy New Year everyone, good luck to all of you in 2017! ^-^


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